


Hallway

by galaxystiel



Series: 100 Ways To Say 'I Love You' [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Breaking Up & Making Up, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-04 02:22:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6637159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxystiel/pseuds/galaxystiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean can't remember why he decided to go and get stinkin' drunk, and he doesn't want to. If only he could avoid disturbing his neighbours.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hallway

**Author's Note:**

> **#16** "It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway." of [100 Ways To Say 'I Love You'](http://blueeyedangel.co.vu/100ways)

 

**Art by the amazing and talented[sketchydean](http://sketchydean.tumblr.com)**

Stumbling up the stairs to his dorm, Dean wondered how he’d gotten into this situation.

He was drunk, he knew that much. Drunk enough that he couldn’t even remember how he got home. Everything had been hazy from around the time Jo passed him his fifth shot. It usually took more than that to get Dean drunk, but it had been a while since he’d really let loose.

His foot caught on the top stair and he just managed to catch himself before his face smashed into the floor. His eyes focused on the pale grey floor, a stark contrast with the black fuzziness around the edges of his vision. As he pushed himself up, he thought bitterly that a broken nose would be the perfect end to this week. A hollow feeling spread in his chest, and it wasn’t from the liquor. Thankfully, Dean couldn’t remember the reason he’d drank himself into this stupor, so he was grateful for the reprieve.

He struggled to his feet, making it back up the stairs while searching his pockets for his keys. He found them after a few fumbling grabs, yanking them out of his pocket and bringing a handful of loose change with them. The coins scattered all over the stone floor, and while it wouldn’t have mattered at any other time, in the early hours of morning, every metallic clink reverberated throughout the hallway.

“Shit,” Dean slurred, trying to snatch up the coins, but missing them completely. “Ah, fuck it.”

Just as he decided to abandon the change, a door down the hall opened. Dean glanced up as its resident emerged, shirtless and wearing bright yellow pyjama pants that proclaimed him to be the ‘bee’s knees’. Dean swallowed at the sight of the familiar bedhead, as Castiel turned to him.

“Dean?” Cas spoke up, squinting tiredly.

The emptiness in Dean’s chest increased tenfold as he stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed at his ex-boyfriend. Now he remembered why he’d drank his own body weight in liquor.

“Cas,” he replied, dropping his eyes to the floor. Just looking at Cas was breaking his heart all over again. “I’m sorry I disturbed you.”

“It’s okay. I couldn’t sleep anyway.” Castiel admitted. “I was thinking about what I said to you yesterday.”

The memory of their fight hit Dean like a sucker punch. Even so, he couldn’t find it in himself to relive it with Castiel right now. In fact, he didn’t think he could stand to be around Castiel a second longer. Not if he wanted to keep his tears at bay.

“Yeah, well, I’m not sure I need to hear it again. I got the message first time, loud and clear.” Dean spat, heading for his own door. “See you ‘round, Cas.”

“Dean–”

It was just one word, but the pain it held was enough to stop Dean in his tracks. His arm was still outstretched, fist clutching his key hard enough to make his knuckles whiten. His eyes closed and shoulders slumped in defeat. He’d never been able to refuse Cas anything and the silent plea to wait was no exception.

“What do you want?”

He turned around. Castiel’s arms were wrapped around himself as he tried to fight off the shivers. Dean finally noticed that Castiel’s blue eyes were rimmed in red. He looked lost. It made Dean’s stomach plummet, to know that Castiel had been crying. Cas deserved to be happy. Instead, Dean had hurt him and ruined everything.

“I shouldn’t have said those things. I’m sorry.” Castiel whispered.

Even with the amount of alcohol inside him, Dean felt like he wasn’t drunk enough for this conversation. He especially wasn’t ready to have it at four o’clock in the morning in the hallway between their dorms. Turning back, he unlocked the door and held it open in silent invitation.

“C’mon,” he muttered, when Castiel didn’t move. “If we do this in the hall, we’ll wake everyone up, or you’ll catch pneumonia, or something. Benny’s at home for the weekend, so my dorm is empty.”

Castiel paused for a moment and then nodded. Barefoot and still obviously freezing, he padded across the hall and into Dean’s room. With the stirrings of a headache that promised to be the worst hangover of his life, Dean let the door click shut behind them. He took a seat on the couch, tossing Cas the woollen throw that Mary had knitted for him. It would keep him warm for now.

“I’ve spent so many nights here,” Castiel murmured, wrapping the throw around himself gratefully. “And now it feels like I’m a stranger. I really am sorry for what I said to you. It was unforgiveable.”

Dean shook his head, staring at a scuffmark on his boots. It was easier to talk if he didn’t have to look at what he’d lost.

“Nah. You were right to call me out, Cas. You were right about almost everything. We’d been together for over a year – I shouldn’t have been hiding you from my family. I was never embarrassed by you though; you were wrong about that part. You’re perfect.”

A sound slipped from Castiel’s lips that sounded suspiciously like a sob. Dean wasn’t sure how to react to that, but he thought the polite thing to do was pretend he didn’t hear it.

“I’m not perfect, Dean. I never was. I just wanted us to be together.”

“That’s all I wanted too,” Dean gave a weary sigh, rubbing his eyes. The conversation was doing a damn good job of sobering him up, but he knew he didn’t have any beer in the dorm with which to bring the buzz back. Every single part of him had missed Castiel over the last couple of days. Cas was everything to him. This last year had been the best of his life and Dean had thrown it all away because he’d feared that his family would scare off his boyfriend. John, in particular. Dean’s sexuality had always been a particularly sore subject with him.

It had taken losing Cas to admit to his family he had a boyfriend in the first place – mostly while crying drunkenly on the phone to Sammy about how he’d screwed up and thrown away the best thing that had ever happened to him. Sam had been optimistic, telling Dean that they would be able to patch things up if they truly loved each other. Dean had just scoffed and returned to his drinking. Now, Castiel’s presence in his dorm was giving him hope. Hope that they could mend things between them.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have this conversation when you’re drunk,” Castiel sighed.

Dean started and he realised that he must have missed something while he’d been lost in thought. He’d failed to respond and because of that, Castiel was preparing to leave.

“No, please….” He choked out, reaching for Castiel’s hand. “I’m drunk because the thought of being apart from you is the worst thing I can imagine right now. I’d rather be drunk than spend a second without you. I know how I feel, and liquor hasn’t changed that.”

Castiel’s face softened, as he threaded their fingers together. Dean felt happiness bloom in his chest. Maybe he hadn’t screwed things up completely.

“Does this mean you’ll give me another chance?” he whispered, almost shyly.

Castiel nodded, smiling patiently over at Dean. “Yes, Dean. I love you; I haven’t given up on you just yet. I just… don’t want to be kept a secret forever. I can’t pretend to be your friend when your family visits.”

“You don’t have to, Cas.” Dean stumbled over his words in his hurry to get them out. “I told Sammy about you today and he’s probably already told my parents. I want you to meet them, I just don’t want them to scare you off. I can’t lose you. Not again.”

He was cut off abruptly when Castiel’s lips sealed over his own. It was just a chaste kiss, barely lingering long enough for Dean to respond, but it certainly did the job of shutting him up. It also made him grin like an idiot.

“You won’t lose me.”

It was a promise, and Dean allowed himself to bask in the warmth it brought to him, trusting wholeheartedly that Cas would keep that promise. He’d make sure they stayed together, because there was no way he’d risk losing Castiel again. Not for anything.

**Author's Note:**

> [MY TUMBLR](http://blueeyedangel.co.vu)


End file.
